Coupling adaptor



April 25, 1967 R. c. TAIT COUPLING ADAPTOR 7 R7 0/ WC T W Y W B T j Filed Feb. 18, 1956 United States Patent 3,316,009 COUPLING ADAPTOR Raymond C. Tait, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to Midland-Ross Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 18, 1966, Ser. No. 528,562 7 Claims. (Cl. 294-82) This invention relates to cargo-container handling systems, and particularly, to a known type of container lifting implement and an adaptor therefor enabling the implement to handle types of containers and loads other than those for which the implement was designed.

In the transportation industry, there are several types of lifting systems capable of handling freight packed in large crane-portable containers. Some of the containers in use have a plurality of pockets extending inwardly from their top surface at each corner. The lifting implement for this type of container has a like-plurality of coupling devices spaced in the same horizontal pattern as the pockets of the containers. Other containers in use have a hook or ring-shaped member disposed .at each top corner to enable rope slings or chains to be connected therewith.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide an adaptor for an L-shaped lifting device that is attached to a lifting implement to thereby permit the implement to handle various types of containers having connecting means of a different coupling system.

A further object is to provide an adaptor for an L- shaped lifting device which, when coupled thereto, will remain positively connected therewith until manually re moved therefrom.

In the drawing in respect to which this invention is described:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating an Lshaped lifting device having coupled thereto an adaptor connecting the device with a load.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the device and adaptor illustrated in FIG. 1 and as viewed from the left.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation in cross-section taken along line III-III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the adaptor, with the device removed, taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 .is a fragmentary side elevation of another embodiment of an L-shaped lifting device to which the adaptor may be coupled.

FIG. 1 illustrates as a part of the lifting implement 1, a lifting device 2 pivotally attached thereto by means of a pin 3. I

Briefly, each lifting device 2 comprises a body portion 6 having front, rear, and lateral sides 7, 3 and 9-9, respectively. The bottom of the body 6 is defined by a frustum 11 of a tetrahedron having vertical lateral sides 12-12 and downwardly facing inclined surfaces 14 and 15. A stem 17 depends from the base of the frustum 11. The stem is a quadrangular prism having front and rear vertical surfaces 18 and 19 and lateral sides 20-20 which are coplanar to the sides 12-12 of the frustum 11, respectively. A tapered foot 22 projects frontwardly from the free end of the stem to define an upwardly facing inclined surface 24 in spaced relation to the downwardly inclined surface 14. A vertically reciprocal lock 27 is supported by the body rearwardly of the stem and in slidable relation with the rear surface 19 thereof. The lifting device described herein is used in the material handling system as set forth in United States Patent No. 3,034,659.

The present invention encompasses an adaptor 30 to be used in combination with the aforesaid lifting device 2. The adaptor 30 comprises a' rigid collar 31 and a load-supporting means 32.

The collar 31 is a ring-shaped member having an opening 34 therein adapted to receive the stem 17 and lock 27 of the device 2. As is obvious from the drawings, the inner peripheral portions of the collar 31 are in closely spaced relationship with the front vertical surface 18 of the stem and the rearwardly facin-g surface 36 of the lock 27. Such a relationship prohibits the disengagement of the collar from the stem 17 when the adaptor is connected to the device 2.

The collar 31 comprises front and rear sections 37 and 38, respectively. Sections 37 and 38 are interconnected :by stem-flanking later-a1 sections 39-39. Each section 37, 38 and 39-39 is preferably circular in vertical crosssection. A tapered rib 40 projects into the opening 34 a predetermined amount from the inner peripheral portion of the rear section 381. The rib 40 is contained in the general plane of the collar and is defined by a pair of converging outwardly facing side surfaces 42 and 43. Each side surface tangentially merges with the rear section 38. A flat end surface 44, parallel to the lengthwise direction of the rear section 3-8, connects the two side surfaces.

In the embodiment shown, the load-supporting means 32 comprises a pair of spaced legs 46-46 which converge in a direction away from the collar 31. Each leg extends a distance greater than the length of the stem downwardly and forwardly from its associated stemflanking section 39. The upper terminus of each leg joins with its respective lateral section 39 at a location spaced nearer to the front section 37 than the rear section 38. As a result, the load distribution is such that the front section 37 carries the greatest load when the adaptor is connected to the lifting device 2 and the article to be transported. The free end of each leg terminates in a lug 47 having a hole 48 therein. The holes 48-4-8- are in alignment and have a common axis 49 that is parallel to the lengthwise direction of the front and rear sections 37 and 38. In the embodiment now described, a connecting link pin 50 is attached to the adaptor 30 to thereby function as the means for interconnecting the adaptor to a load through a chain, rope, or hook 51 such as is shown in FIG. 1. Fastening means 52, such as a cotter pin connection, is used to secure the link pin 50 to the adaptor 30.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, there is shown a rearwardly facing detent means 55 which protrudes, in its normal position of rest, in an inclined downward direction from the rear surface 36 of the lock -27. The detent means comprises a bolt 56 which is longer than the dimension of the lock normal to its path of travel. For a further description of the detent means, reference is made to United States Patent No. 3,043,411.

In the operation of the mechanism above, the detent means functions as a holding latch; that is, it serves to maintain the adaptor 30 in a connected position with the device 2. In this unloaded condition, a bottom portion 57 of the rib 40 rest against an upwardly facing surface 58 of the bolt 56.

To connect the adaptor 30 to the lifting device 2, the front section 3-7 of the collar 31 is positioned between, and in abutting relation with, the front inclined surfaces 14 and 24 of the device with the section 38 positioned below the stem. The adaptor is then rotated about section 37 as an axis so that the rear section 38 of the collar advances upwardly toward the device. As the rear section 3-8 traverses its arcuate path, a forward upper portion 59 of the rib 40 engages a bottom portion 60 of the bolt 56. Continuous upward movement of the rear section 38 urges the bolt 56 into its chamber in the lock. As the bottom portion 57 of the rib 40 passes over the end of the'bolt thus retracted, the bolt 56 readily returns to its normal position of rest. The bolt then acts as a stop to the reverse arcuate movement of the collar. To disengage the collar from the device, finger pressure upon the bolt urges it upwardly into its chamber to thereby permit the reverse movement of the adaptor.

When the adaptor 30 is attached, through the link pin 50, and hook 51 to a load having its line of action, as indicated by arrow 61, contained in vertical plane 62 passing through the axis of 49 of the lugs 4-7 -47, or its line of action extending from the axis 49 downwardly and rearwardly as indicated by a dot-dash arrow 63, the adaptor pivots about a bearing contact line created between a bottom area 64 on the front collar section 37 and a supporting area 65 of the inclined surface 24. Under the latter loading condition, a portion 66- of the upwardly facing surface 42 of the rib 40 and rear section 38 will engage the inclined surface 15 of the body 6- to define a positive connection. However, when the line of action of the load increasingly deviates from the vertical plane 6'2 in the downwardly and forwardly direction, as indicated by a dot-dash arrow 67, the upwardly facing surface 58 of the bolt 56 will increasingly support the main load. Under this type of a loading condition, the upper inner peripheral portion 68 of the front section 37 will engage the inclined surface 14 of the body 6.

Advancing now to FIG. 5, there is shown another embodiment of the lifting device. The essential differences between device 2 and device 70 are that (l) the length of the lock '71 is greater than the length of the lock 27 and (2) the detent means 55 has been eliminated. Such lock structure in essence accomplishes the same result as the short lock 27 with the bolt 56. That is, the bottom portion 57 of the rib 40 would be permitted to engage a portion 72 of the lock 71 to thereby restrain the movement of the adaptor towards an unconnected position.

To connect and disconnect the adaptor 30, finger pressure is applied to the bottom of the lock 71. Such pressure will raise the lock to a position whereby the rear section 38 of the collar 31 may be moved through an arcuate path to disconnect the adaptor 30.

The terms and'expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation and there is no intention of excluding such equivalents of the invention described or portion thereof as fall within the V scope of the claims.

being connected by stem-flanking lateral section;

and

(B) load -supporting means having upper termini fixed to said lateral collar sections and including means for connecting with a load spaced downwardly with respect to the collar as to dispose the connecting means underneath the device during use.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said lock means comprises:

(A) a lock in vertically slidable relation with the back side of the stem; and

(B) a rearwardly facing detent means retractable from a position wherein it protrudes from the back of said lock.

3'. The combination of claim 1 wherein:

(A) said load-supporting means and connecting means are contained in a plane transverse to the general plane of the collar, said transverse plane extending downwardly from said upper termini as to dispose said connectings means in fr-ontwardly spaced relation to said upper termini.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which said load-supporting means comprises.

(A) a pair of spaced legs that converge in a direction away from said collar.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein:

(A) said rear section includes a rib contained in the general plane of said collar which projects therefrom into said opening a predetermined distance.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein:

(A) said rib is defined by a pair of spaced oppositely facing side surfaces and a flat end surface connecting said side surfaces, said side surfaces converging towards the center of the opening and said end surface extending in a direction parallel to said rear section.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein:

(A) said side surface facing said body tangentially merges with said rear section of the collar.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,086,807 4/ 1963 Russell 294--67 3,264,026 8/ 1966 Hansen 29482 X GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

G. F, ABRAHAM, Assistant Examiner, 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH AN L-SHAPED LIFTING DEVICE HAVING FRONT, REAR AND LATERAL SIDES AND COMPRISING AN UPPER BODY, A STEM PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, A FOOT PROJECTING FRONTWARDLY FROM THE STEM IN SPACED RELATION WITH THE BODY, AND A LOCKING MEANS DISPOSED REARWARD OF THE STEM AND RETRACTABLE FROM A NORMAL DOWNWARD POSITION OF REST; AN ADAPTOR FOR CONNECTING SAID DEVICE WITH A LOAD AND COMPRISING: (A) A RIGID COLLAR PROVIDING AN OPENING FOR RECEIVING THE STEM AND THE LOCKING MEANS IN BACK-TOBACK RELATIONSHIP WITH A FRONT SECTION OF THE COLLAR RESTING ON AN UPPER SURFACE OF THE FOOT AND A REAR SECTION OF THE COLLAR RESTING AGAINST SAID LOCK MEANS, SAID REAR AND FRONT COLLAR SECTIONS BEING CONNECTED BY STEM-FLANKING LATERAL SECTION; AND 